Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1887-12-15
THE LATE ALGERNON
AN.


EDITOR FREE Press: tt fMr.
Algernon ). Sullivan, While. e. I'D in
New York on the 4th of Deccmbl. ter a
weeks illness with typhoid fey,r vas a
great shock to his friends, and i3l C loss
which is felt by the whole commu -. His
circle Of acquain'ances embraced Il J cit
liens in the Vail y Of Virginia, al ,nders
proper a particular notice Of the eased
in your columns.
4 Virginian by descent and an ;anian
by birth, Mr.. Sullivan became re ent Of
New York before he war, and attained to
the first rank a lawyer in his adopted
home. His oilic we're in the Drexel Build
ing at Wall and Broad streets, and perhaps
in no others in this country were the COM
plicated but harmonious workings OF an
immense law practice better exemplitied.-
" | am very busy man" he said TO the wri-
ter a few weeks ago, aud yet | settle TWEEN
tv cases without litigat on where try one"
This WAS so conspicuously true that Mr.
Sullivan had long been regarded as a lawyer
who composed more strites and legal con
tentious by happy adjustment between OPP
posing parties than any other in New York.
A deep student and thorough master OF the
principles of his profession, he was always
strong with the Court in banc, where alb
struse discussion alone count Besides he
was very ready and effective speaker, ard
as an advocate before juries, where the elo-
quencc of the heart comes more into play,
| SIR. Sullivan had but few equals at the bar.
In private life the deceased gentleman
shone with peculiar brilliancy. Nature had
endowed him with a strikingly handsome
person, q voice o wonderful sweetness IN
| It's conversational tones, an elasticity OF tenn
| permanent which made sunshine for all, and
an ease aud elegance of demeauor which
! never ceased to be courtly although his ha-
/ biual mood was one of extreme geGtleness
and love for human kind. l.neyer saw in
| any other person SO rare union OF manly
! dignity and almost WOmanly delicacy.
The yotaries Of fashionable society, the
guilds of letters, music, art, and science,
the workshops of the hardy sons of toll, the
arena of politics, the social clubs, notably
/ the New York Southern Society, OF which
he was president all and many more
subdivisions of the busy beehive of New
! York complex society, welcomed Algernon
:. Sullivan into their midst with open arms
as social force0f the first magnitude. They
all felt his influence for good. The late
! William K. rravers was the idol of his cir
Gle: but Algernon 5. Sullivan, like Dewitt
Clinton or Thomas Adds Emmett Of old,
was the favorite son OF New York.
For twelve years the writer of this slight
Renaissance of the life of a very remarka-
BILE man saw and conyerScd with Mr.. Sulli-
van almost every day, and saw and fe,
some new amenity in his character when
ever that character was called into play
His home-life was as beautiful as all the
rest, but God and freside are sacred sub
iects from the proiane gaze, and as his noble
widowed spouse and son carrying out the
wish es OF the dear one gone are said to have
desired no euogies to be spoken at the bier
of him with whose praises the whole city is
ringing. so let me pause at the portals OF
domesticity and cast spray offowers on the
lintels to express how responsibility the great
heart OF the city is beating with the hearts
of those within. J. +. Mel.
New York, Dec. s 1887.